Pikabooks: Evergreen Jim & Tulip
Posted by Amy on Friday April 27, 2012
I’m really excited to launch our latest zine for Pikabooks! Evergreen Jim & Tulip: Ain’t No Mountain High Enough is the brainchild of Ana Benaroya, and what better way to celebrate than to interview the lady herself? Melanie Maddison gets down and dirty with Ana, so read on!
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Ana Benaroya is an illustrator, designer, typographer, and screen printer making adrenaline-fuelled, energizing, insanely bright, bold, loud and colourful work that smacks me in the face with how joyously unashamed it is. I don’t think I have enough adjectives to describe it!
Her illustrated zine, Evergreen Jim & Tulip: Ain’t No Mountain High Enough is being published and released by Pikaland’s book imprint, Pikabooks imminently, so we thought we’d catch up with Ana to ask more about the zine, and her other artwork.
Website | Blog | Paintings blog | Shop | Tumblr
Hi Ana, how are you? Could you tell Pikaland readers a little about yourself?
Hello! I’m doing pretty well. I am a freelance illustrator and designer working out of Jersey City. I love eating, drinking coffee, and drawing.
Could you tell us a little about Evergreen Jim & Tulip, both about the project came to be, and also the story within it?
I came up with the idea for this story while on a trip to the Pacific Northwest (Portland, Seattle, Mt. Rainier, Vancouver). It was my first time to this part of the country and I was amazed at the difference in trees and nature…and the mountains. My surroundings inspired my story…I wanted to create a romanticized version of the people who inhabited this part of the country. And of course, insert my own ridiculousness and sense of humor. I love writing love stories.
What is your history in independent or self-publishing? I’m guessing Evergreen Jim & Tulip isn’t your first zine?
I don’t have a huge history in self-publishing…though I did self-publish a newspaper with a good friend of mine called “Egg on Bread.” It was a satire on what a newspaper typically is, containing the weather, horoscopes, an advice column, etc. I also self-published a book called “Men Eating Fruit” which is a collection of paintings of nude men eating fruit, along with a short story about each of their lives. I like self-publishing because there’s no one telling you what you can and can’t do, or warning you about the marketability of something.
Do you think zines are a good way to share art, to display art, and to reach (new?) audiences or artistic communities?
Yes, I definitely think so… though the tricky part is getting the world to know that your zine exists. But there is something very magical about discovering a zine that you love… because you know it was hand-crafted and purely made. A zine represents true creative freedom and expression.
What appealed to you about working with Pikabooks?
I’ve been a big fan of the blog for a while, and how could I say no to the offer of a story of mine being published? This is my first real opportunity to have my writing and my art appear together and I’m very excited about it.
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You can get a copy of Ana’s limited edition zine, Evergreen Jim & Tulip: Ain’t No Mountain High Enough over at Pikabooks!
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CLICK HERE to read the entire interview with Ana!
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Review: No Brow: Leeroy & Popo + Birchfield Close
Posted by Amy on Friday April 20, 2012
I’ve been looking at a fair bit of comics these days and while I’m no stranger to them (I have an almost complete collection of Calvin & Hobbes), I find the field to be an exciting one these days. And by exciting, I mean that there is so much more to love, all thanks to the wonderful world of the internet.
When I was young, I thought that the comic world was divided only into two different genres – manga and children’s comics. I now know better (of course!), but only because of the world wide web and a random foray into an obscure corner of my local bookshop which yielded a bit of surprise – there were comics for people like me who weren’t into manga and they weren’t just for children! From there on, I realized that there were comics for all sorts of genres and people, and the array out there is dizzying!
One publisher that caught my eye was No Brow. I just received a copy of Leelo & Popo and Birchfield Close in the mail, and they’re both wonderfully different and refreshing:
LEEROY & POPO
Slacker subculture takes centerstage in the first part of a series by Louis Roskosch in Leeroy & Popo. Leeroy, a bear and Popo, a dinosaur goes through post teenage angst and teeter on the side of romance in this growing up tale. Modern and fresh, I thought that there was a certain melancholy in the way the characters are portrayed, which I could identify with! I’m waiting for the next installment, just to see if Leeroy manages to win the heart of his lady love.
BIRCHFIELD CLOSE
The brilliant work of Jon McNaught is captured beautifully in Birchfield Close – a book that describes frame-by-frame of the suburbs in all its mundane glory. Each scene seems to blend into one another effortlessly, much as the day turns into night in places such as these – behind the subtle chatter of neighbours to the quiet unsymbolic passing of days. Throughout the book there’s no conversation; just sounds and noises against backdrops and textures of subtle color. Jon’s a genius.
These two comics are but just the tip of the iceberg! The range of books available at No Brow runs from children’s books to those for adults (or sometimes, big kids) and they are all especially worth picking for those who love illustrations (ahem, someone like yours truly) and not only that, many of them are set to become collectibles that you’ll find yourself digging out after you’re long done with them.
LINK
No Brow
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The case of elusive sleep
Posted by Amy on Monday April 16, 2012
It’s amazing how we take certain things for granted. For me, it was sleep, or the lack thereof.
For the whole of last week, I was absolutely miserable. I thought I had already began to recover from a bad bout of flu that had sprung up on me a few weeks ago, only to be replaced by a horrendous cough that woke me up every 10 minutes of shutting my eyes. And this is no dry cough either – it’s a VERY productive cough that made the back of my throat spew out sputum like it was going out of fashion.
Within five days of getting a mere 3 hours of sleep everyday, I was bushwhacked. The coughing fits also gave my abs a good workout and the lack of sleep made me lose a good few pounds (although those won’t quite be missed!) In between my irritating throat infection, I was going through an impossible patch with my laptop – I’ve sent it off to the workshop for repairs a total of three times because of an unresolved issue that has turned my schedule and work upside down.
So I became a zombie for a week, and an ill-equipped one at that. Work was horrifically slow, so my sketchbook was a constant companion (because that’s the only thing I could count on that won’t break down, how ironic.) I’m thankful that DropBox made the transitions a little easier, but I was essentially a nomad for more than a month – and I’m still one.
After going through a bit of a rough patch for the past few weeks, you can imagine my joy at having being able to sleep for a couple of hours at a stretch a few nights ago. Sure, I did wake up a few times, but at least I could shut my eyes off for more than 15 minutes at a stretch. Soon after, every night’s sleep inched a little closer to normal, with the occasional hacking and near-choking episodes that woke me up tapering off (much to my delight!). And just two days ago, I began to sleep soundly through the night.
You can’t imagine my joy of being able to sleep uninterrupted. So much so that the first thought upon opening my eyes were “HURRAH!”, followed by bouts of goofy smiles all day – ecstatic at the knowledge that I won’t be waffling around in a haze. I’m strutting around as though I’m wearing a superhero cape that imbued me with clarity of mind. It’s amazing how we take normal things – like sleep – for granted.
Next up: getting my laptop back, or at least exchange it for a new one because this nuisance has gone on for long enough. Good thing I’ve got my superhero cape, so bring it on.
What’s eluding you lately?
Have a great Monday ahead folks, and here’s to small steps!
Let Her Sleep print by Yellow Button Studio.
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Building blocks
Posted by Amy on Friday March 30, 2012
The below images have been floating around the internet and I couldn’t resist adding them here for today! If you haven’t seen them and are struggling to decipher what these are, here’s a clue: Cartoon characters.
Produced by German advertising agency Jung von Matt, this was a print advertisement for Lego and I think they did a smashing job.
I love how the agency reduced the form of each cartoon family and stripped it down to a column of color. It’s interesting to see how much our brain needs to go on before we instinctively know who those characters are. And once we’re hit with that a-ha moment, our eyes and senses adjust themselves; dredging up memories of long forgotten characters.
Yes, it’s true – we’re inexplicably bound by pop culture.
Did you manage to guess the characters behind each image? I can imagine these lot would be more easily identified by those who were born in the early 80s, like I am! If not here’s your answer:
{From top to bottom: South Park, The Smurfs, The Simpsons , Lucky Luke and the Daltons, Asterix and Obelix, Donald Duck and Nephews, Bert and Ernie, and Ninja Turtles!}
Via Minimalissimo
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